Woodland school board awaits recommendation on K-8 charter petition

Woodland school board members are expecting a report Monday by district staff on whether they should approve a K-8 charter school petition submitted by the same people running Woodland Polytechnic Academy.

Woodland Poly's supporters, including executive director Steve Marks Jr., submitted their petition on Sept. 10 for the proposed Woodland Elementary Academy. A public hearing on the proposal was held by the school board on Oct. 11.

If approved, the new school would be an independent charter for kindergarten through eighth grade students under Principal Eli Johnson, the current principal of Woodland Poly.

The Woodland Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees is expected to vote on whether to approve or reject the petition during its regular meeting this Thursday -- and trustees will base their decision in part by what district staff recommends.

Staff members of Superintendent Debra LaVoi have been requesting documents and other information from Woodland Poly's administrators. That has led to some confrontations, however, as happened Oct. 10 when three district administrators and a teacher were ejected from the Woodland Poly campus at the Yolo County Fairgrounds.

The district said its people were just trying to learn more about the school in order to make their assessment. Marks accused them of engaging in a set-up.

"They want to find out what's working and not working, and then expose everything that's not working," he said.

As a result, a full tour of the school was never made by district staff. It was not immediately clear how much of the requested information the district ever obtained.

"The petitioners have wanted us to be speedy in the approval process, but have not been very accommodating to our staff in providing additional information or a school site visit," said trustee Julie Blacklock in an email.

"Personally, I will consider the recommendation from staff, as well as take into account public comment and comments from other board members before making my decision," Blacklock said. "I think charter schools are a good option for students if done right."

The final district recommendation -- to be released Monday to board members and the general public -- will try to assess whether Woodland Polyhas met its goals on enrollment, curriculum, budgeting, test scores and other measures.

According to the California Education Code, a school board can deny a charter school petition if "the petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program set forth in the petition."

If the leaders of Woodland Poly have not met their goals as stated in their original petition for the high school -- which was submitted and rejected by the school board, two years ago -- that could hurt their chances for gaining approval of the K-8 school.

At least one trustee did manage to tour Woodland Poly. At the school board's Oct. 25 meeting, trustee David Hartley said he had conducted two tours of the campus, and urged other trustees to do the same.

"I was very impressed," Hartley told The Democrat earlier this week. "The first thing that impresses you is safety, student safety."

Hartley also admired Woodland Poly's small class sizes, the quality of work being done by the students, and "a sense of harmony."

When it comes to Thursday's vote, "I'm looking at three things," he said. "Number one, is it economically viable. ... Number two, does it serve the community and the parents who petitioned for it for their children. And then three, I believe, does it serve (as) a competition to make our purely government-run schools better."

Ultimately, Hartley said, "I'll make my own decision based on my own observations, taking into account the district's recommendations."

Fellow trustee Julie Ann Jackson said she was hoping to get a tour of Woodland Poly before the Thursday board meeting. She said the petition must meet all California Education Code requirements, but she added, "I have an open mind about it."

Other reasons allowed in the California Education Code for rejecting a charter school petition include that it "presents an unsound educational program" and that it lacks the required number of signatures. Trustees say they will follow this code when making their decision.

"The petition must meet every criteria prescribed in the California Education Code and undoubtedly demonstrate that it is not just a choice, but a good choice for our students and community," said school board president Angel Barajas.

Charter school petitioners first go to the district school board for approval, then the county school board, then the state, if necessary.

In the case of Woodland Poly, after being rejected by the school board two years ago, Marks and other petitioners went to the Yolo County Board of Education, which eventually approved the school.

If Woodland Elementary Academy is rejected by the school board on Thursday, petitioners can once again appeal to the county Board of Education.